Briefing: Hospitals' community benefits
Massachusetts nonprofit hospitals provided more than $753 million in community benefits in 2010, according to a recent report by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office.
What kind of benefits did the report look at?
The attorney general calls on hospitals to address five priorities: supporting health care reform, preventing and managing chronic disease, reducing health disparities, addressing the health needs of the uninsured and promoting wellness of vulnerable populations.
Why do hospitals need to do this?
It’s part of nonprofit hospitals’ “charitable mission,” which differentiates them from for-profit hospitals and helps justify the exemptions from taxes that they receive. However, two for-profit institutions, Saint Vincent Hospital of Worcester and MetroWest Medical Center of Framingham and Natick, both owned by Vanguard Health Systems, also submitted reports touting their charitable work.
Is this a new requirement for hospitals?
Sort of. The AG’s Community Benefits Program was established in 1994, but the specific guidelines used in this report were created in 2009 as part of a state effort to address unmet health needs. They’re more specific than the previous standards. The 2010 fiscal year, which ended in October, was the first in which hospitals were judged by the new guidelines.
What in particular are the hospitals doing?
Of the $753 million in benefits, the AG’s office reports that $81 million represents free and discounted care for patients. Other services include UMass Memorial Medical Center’s support for teen employment and after-school activities, screenings and health education that Clinton Hospital provides for the elderly and an online tool that Milford Regional Medical Center offers for parents of adolescents in Central Massachusetts.
What are some of the common issues targeted by hospitals in Central Massachusetts?
A number of hospitals organize or support services for non-English speakers, efforts to fight obesity and diabetes and school-based health programs for underserved students.
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